Our Mission

Working to restore the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to all Californians, and towards a thriving California democracy.

Pro-Democracy:

Californians deserve to live in a democracy in the modern sense of the word.

Even at its best, the American republic does not work for Californians. Californians are under-represented in the U.S. Senate (by a factor of six). In the House of Representatives, the federal system’s only equally representative institution, Californians’ voice has been drowned out by gerrymandering and intentional voter disenfranchisement practices implemented by other states.

Democracy wasn’t invented or perfected in Philadelphia in the 18th century; it’s a living experiment that is practiced and constantly improved upon all over the world. Californians deserve to be in the mainstream of democracy, not on the fringes.

We stand for:

Ending “Taxation Without Representation” for Californians. This means advocating for reform of the U.S. Government to comport with the principle of one person, one vote. And until it does, seeking to minimize the federal government’s influence over Californians’ lives.

Demanding diplomacy before destruction, peaceful coexistence before unwanted interference, and reasonable levels of military spending that will not bankrupt us.

Advocating for California’s implementation of policies popular in all other wealthy democratic societies, such as universal health care, affordable higher education, criminal justice reform, and paid family leave. Californians deserve nice things too.

Drawing from the great tradition of the American civil rights movements, Independent California is utterly committed to pursuing these goals peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. We believe that in demanding full democratic rights for Californians, we are on the right side of history, and we are confident that others will ultimately agree.

Pro-California:

California is unique, and should be allowed to reach its full potential

California has come a long way since the United States took it over in 1846:

From a land overrun by violent, intolerant miners, California became one of the most fiercely and successfully pluralistic societies on earth.

From a distant outpost, California became a global hub of movies, music, and technology, with the world’s finest public university system.

California moved from an ecological disaster to a global leader in the fight against climate change.

California grew from a sparsely populated territory of less than 300,000 people, to a mid-sized nation-state of 40 million.

We believe California is just getting started. And we can’t wait to see what California can do for Californians, and for the world, if we’re empowered to reach our full potential.

As it stands, California is being held back by the United States. From health care, to the environment, to deciding how to spend our own tax dollars, Californians can’t get anything done without asking the permission of a government that was essentially designed to assuage a slave-holding population smaller than California’s Inland Empire.

We believe California’s fate should be in the hands of the people who live here, not a dysfunctional government 3,000 miles away whose policies are increasingly overtly punitive. California should continue to move forward, and the United States can get on board or get left behind.

We also believe California should be recognized for what it is: pretty much a country already, caught in an awkward situation.

We will fight for:

California to prevail in policy disputes with the federal government.

A fair share of federal spending, and, ultimately, control over our own tax dollars.

A transfer of the vast majority of California federal lands to the stewardship of state and local governments.